New App Store rules: no skin, no innuendo, no bikinis

Apple shocked developers this week when they went public with their decision to remove all sexual content from the App Store. The news came as a surprise because it demonstrates that Apple is willing to hit developers where it hurts – their livelihood – with little to no notice whatsoever. The decision has left developers and users alike wondering what is allowed on the App Store. And thanks to TechCrunch’s investigative research—we now know that the new policy may even be more limiting than previously thought.

While Apple hasn’t confirmed any definitive rules outlining the new policy, a few guidelines have been released:

No images of women in bikinis. (Ice skating tights are not alright either.)

No skin. Seriously, none.

No sexual connotations or innuendo.

The largest question currently being raised is: is this ban even necessary? Since the iPhone has parental controls, it seems like a bad move on Apple’s part, considering entire empires have been built on the principle of selling “sexy.”

1Comment

BradHutchings

5 years ago

You’re absolutely right @flashmojo13. Problem is Apple didn’t mention this to developers before, or even customers for that matter. When I bought 2 iPhones last summer, I did under the assumption that the trend was opening up the device, not locking it down. So not only am I stuck with AT&T’s crappy service for 18 more months. I’m stuck with carrying around the cell phone equivalent of Disneyland. It’s wonderful for 5 yeard olds, but when I have my adult time, I want to be treated like an adult. I want to make my own choices about what I install on the iPhones I bought.